,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djhb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bc1 #bjbe,mr4 
,higgins of ,louisiana 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,ezell7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
a report on ,coast ,guard personnel     
skills transfer to the dredging sector  
and the importance of certain waterways 
to national security1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,industrial         
,certification for ,coast ,guard        
,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,report on ,coast  
,guard personnel skills transfer to the 
dredging sector and the importance of   
certain waterways to national security  
,recognizing the critical role of       
,federal channels and other channels    
determined by the ,secretary of         
,homeland ,security to be strategically 
important in supporting national        
security and economic prosperity1 and   

the essential function of the ,united   
,states dredging industry in maintaining
 such waterways1 not later than #ahj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security
 of the ,house of ,representatives and  
the ,committee on ,homeland ,security   
and ,governmental ,affairs of the       
,senate a report that includes the      
following3  7#a7 ,an analysis of the    
skills and experience of ,coast ,guard  
personnel1 particularly such personnel  
with backgrounds in engineering1        
navigation1 heavy equipment operation1  
and maintenance1 that are directly      
transferable to the dredging industry1  
which is vital for the upkeep of        
,federal channels and other channels    
determined by the ,secretary to be      
strategically important4  7#b7 ,a plan  
for developing and implementing targeted
 outreach and recruitment strategies to 
connect separating or retiring ,coast   
,guard personnel with employment        

opportunities in the dredging industry1 
thereby strengthening the workforce that
 supports national security interests4  
7#c7 ,an evaluation of the potential for
 establishing credentialing or          
certification programs to recognize and 
validate the skills of ,coast ,guard    
personnel for employment in the dredging
 industry1 ensuring a skilled workforce 
for maintaining ,federal channels and   
other channels determined by the        
,secretary to be strategically          
important4  7#d7 ,a description of any  
existing or planned coordination with   
the ,army ,corps of ,engineers and other
 relevant agencies to facilitate the    
transition of ,coast ,guard personnel   
into the dredging industry1 reinforcing 
the capacity of the ,united ,states to  
ensure the readiness and reliability of 
,federal channels and other channels    
determined by the ,secretary to be      
strategically important4